US completes H-1B visa lottery for FY 2025-26, filing opens from April 1; What's next?

The United States has completed the initial registration selection process for the fiscal year (FY) 2026 H-1B visa cap, including the master’s cap, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Sunday.

The agency announced that it received sufficient electronic registrations for unique beneficiaries during the initial registration period to meet the H-1B numerical allocations for FY 2026.

Following a random selection process, USCIS has notified all prospective petitioners whose beneficiaries were selected, confirming their eligibility to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.

What next?

Starting April 1, petitioners with selected beneficiaries can begin filing H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those qualifying for the advanced degree exemption. The filing window, which will remain open for at least 90 days, requires petitions to be submitted either at the designated USCIS filing location or online via my.uscis.gov, accompanied by a valid selection notice.

USCIS clarified that only petitioners with registrations for selected beneficiaries are permitted to file H-1B petitions for FY 2026. Alongside the selection notice, petitioners will also need to include evidence of the beneficiary’s valid passport or travel document used during registration.

The petitioners are required to provide sufficient evidence to establish eligibility for petition approval, as the registration and selection process only determines eligibility to file.

“Petitioners filing for selected beneficiaries based on their valid registration must still submit evidence or otherwise establish eligibility for petition approval, as registration and selection only pertains to eligibility to file the H-1B cap-subject petition,” the release added.

The H-1B program allows companies and other employers in the United States to temporarily employ highly skilled foreign workers. H-1B specialty occupations may include fields such as architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts.

India remains the dominant country of origin for H-1B recipients. In 2023, 73% of approved applicants were born in India, followed by China at 12%.